Sabalenka wins first match since US Open triumph
Aryna Sabalenka overcomes a rusty start in Wuhan as she fights back to beat Rebecca Sramkova in her first appearance since winning the US Open.
Aryna Sabalenka overcomes a rusty start in Wuhan as she fights back to beat Rebecca Sramkova in her first appearance since winning the US Open.
Alex de Minaur recorded his 50th tour-level victory of the season on Wednesday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where he moved past Nuno Borges 7-5, 6-2 to reach his seventh ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final.
De Minaur is just the third man to hit the 50-win mark in 2025, joining Carlos Alcaraz (67) and Taylor Fritz (50), with the Australian earning a Tour-leading 37 victories on hard courts. Playing with confidence and controlled aggression against Borges, De Minaur struck 19 winners to just 10 unforced errors en route to a one-hour, 47-minute triumph in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.
De Minaur’s previous best season in 2024 culminated in 47 wins and two titles, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. Having lifted the trophy at the ATP 500 event in Washington in August, the 26-year-old is chasing his second title of the year in Shanghai, where he will next meet Daniil Medvedev or #NextGenATP American Learner Tien.
De Minaur arrived in Shanghai off the back of a semi-final showing in Beijing and his latest run is further improving his Nitto ATP Finals qualification chances. The 10-time tour-level champion is seventh in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, 740 points clear of 10th-placed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who is the first player outside the Top 8 cut due to ninth-placed Jack Draper being sidelined for the rest of the year with injury.
De Minaur, who made his debut at the prestigious year-end event in 2024, would rise to fourth in the Live Race if he captures his maiden Masters 1000 title in Shanghai.
Earlier, Arthur Rinderknech backed up his win against World No. 3 Alexander Zverev by defeating Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 7-6(5) to reach his maiden Masters 1000 quarter-final. The Frenchman, who is up to No. 43 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, has joined his cousin Valentin Vacherot in the last eight. Following his win, Rinderknech wrote a message of support for qualifier Vacherot, who is the first Monegasque player to reach a tour-level quarter-final in history.
After facing high temperatures on the Asian swing of the tennis tours, some players are questioning the sport’s heat policies.
Tested by heat, a leg issue and sheer exhaustion, Novak Djokovic described his fourth-round battle against Jaume Munar as a “tough day at the office” at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where the Serbian dug into his deepest reserves to advance.
Pushed to his physical limits in heavy humidity, the Serbian vomited courtside on several occasions and fell to the floor after losing the second set, prompting medical support. He routinely sought relief with ice towels throughout the two-hour, 41-minute clash. Djokovic also took multiple medical timeouts for a leg issue, but again summoned his trademark resilience.
Following his spirited 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 victory against Spaniard Jaume Munar, Djokovic took to social media to reflect on the physical toll of the match.
“Tough day at the office. Very challenging physically,” Djokovic wrote. “Luckily, I have the greatest support in the world. 🫶🏼. 我爱上海”
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With his win, Djokovic set a new record. At 38 years and four months, the Serbian is now the oldest ATP Masters 1000 quarter-finalist in history, surpassing Roger Federer’s previous record (38 years, two months), which the Swiss achieved in 2019 in Shanghai. Should Djokovic claim a record-extending fifth Shanghai title, he will break his tie with Federer for the most hard-court tour-level titles in the Open Era (71).
Into the Shanghai quarter-finals for the 11th time in as many appearances, Djokovic will next meet Belgian Zizou Bergs for their maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. The Belgrade native, seeded fourth, is the highest-ranked player remaining in the draw.
Djokovic is chasing his 41st ATP Masters 1000 title and first since he triumphed in Paris in 2023. Currently third in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, Djokovic holds a 34-10 season record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.
Watch Highlights from Djokovic’s hard-fought Shanghai win vs. Munar
Jack Draper hires Jamie Delgado, who worked with Andy Murray when he became world number one, as his new head coach.
Valentin Vacherot was on the verge of tears on Tuesday when he advanced to his maiden ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.
The first Monegasque player to reach a tour-level quarter-final in history, the qualifier Vacherot ousted Tallon Griekspoor 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-4 after a topsy-turvy, two-hour, 22-minute battle that ended 10 minutes shy of 1 a.m.
“It means everything,” said Vacherot in disbelief. “I don’t think I could really realise what I was doing this whole week and it kind of all hit me when I just won this match. I was just happy this whole week, but not through the roof and this one is unbelievable.
“So much emotion just thinking of the tough times I had last year, even this year. Just to share that with my coach, brother, my girlfriend — it’s unbelievable and I’m having one of the best times in my life right now.”
Vacherot entered the week at World No. 204, with just one career win at an ATP Tour event, having reached the second round of his home tournament, this year’s Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. Thanks to his Shanghai run, Vacherot has skyrocketed to No. 130 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. The 26-year-old, who hammered 40 winners against Griekspoor, is the lowest-ranked quarter-finalist in Shanghai history.
“This is 100 per cent the reward, being on the bench six months last year [due to injury],” said Vacherot, who has ousted three seeded players consecutively: 14th seed Alexander Bublik, 20th seed Tomas Machac and 27th seed Griekspoor.
“Thankfully, I was able to play free since January. That was unbelievable. I had a nasty fall at Wimbledon in the [qualifying] first round, I was a few points from victory. I’m not going to lie, I thought I was going to be out a couple of months again. It was just a few weeks. Now this is the reward for everything I went through.”
Vacherot will next meet 10th seed Holger Rune. When asked about his upcoming match, Vacherot said: “I don’t even know who I’m playing, I don’t look at the draw.”
Vacherot’s cousin, Arthur Rinderknech, is also still alive in the tournament. The Frenchman, who upset Alexander Zverev on Monday, will next face 15th seed Jiri Lehecka on Wednesday. Vacherot and Rinderknech both attended Texas A&M University, where they shared two seasons together (2016, 2017).
Since 2022, Vacherot’s half-brother, Benjamin Balleret, has been his full-time coach.
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Novak Djokovic overcomes injury issues and sweltering heat as he beats Jaume Munar to continue his bid for a fifth Shanghai Masters title.
Novak Djokovic overcame pain in his left ankle, the Shanghai humidity and the challenge of Jaume Munar to reach the quarter-finals at the Rolex Shanghai Masters for the 11th time on Tuesday.
The Serbian received multiple medical timeouts for a leg issue during the two-hour, 40-minute clash and frequently placed an ice towel over his head during changeovers, with humidity levels exceeding 82 per cent. Djokovic threw up courtside on several occasions and collapsed to the floor after losing the second set before he received medical support.
However, despite the challenging conditions, the 38-year-old dug deep to grind down Munar 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 in one of the most physical matches of the season.
After losing the second set, Djokovic capitalised on a crucial Munar error at the start of the third set to regain momentum. Serving at 0-0, 40/15, Munar missed a simple smash wide, allowing an opening for the Serbian. Djokovic went on to break Munar’s serve and then was aggressive in the decider in an attempt to shorten the rallies. The 40-time Masters 1000 champion produced a 9.6 shot quality on the forehand in the third set, hitting at an average speed of 84 mph on that stroke to dictate and triumph.
Shot Quality measures the quality of the player’s serve, return, forehand and backhand on a 0-10 scale. They are calculated in real-time by analysing each shot’s speed, spin, depth, width, and the impact it has on the opponent.
Djokovic has reached the quarter-finals in all 11 of his Shanghai appearances, lifting the trophy a record four times. The No. 5 player in the PIF ATP Rankings is the highest-ranked left player in the draw and he will next meet Belgian Zizou Bergs.
The Serbian is chasing a record-extending 41st ATP Masters 1000 title and first since he won in Paris in 2023. Earlier this year, he lost in the Miami final to #NextGenATP Czech Jakub Mensik. The record seven-time Nitto ATP Finals champion is currently third in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, with a 35-10 standing on the year, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]Holger Rune moved a step closer to his first ATP Masters 1000 title in almost three years on Tuesday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where he overcame big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-3.
The Dane, who won his lone Masters 1000 crown in Paris in 2022, had to remain patient against Mpetshi Perricard. Rune won just 27 per cent (17/63) of points on the Frenchman’s serve, according to Infosys ATP Stats, but earned two crucial breaks in the match to advance to the quarter-finals after two hours and 30 minutes. The five-time tour-level titlist now leads the 32nd seed 2-1 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
“I managed to break him twice. He was serving very well today,” Rune said. “He also showed his level against Fritz, he is a tough player to beat on this surface. The conditions were a bit better to play in today. I am very happy with my mindset today. I stayed in there every point and I was a bit frustrated I lost the second set but I came back and was determined for the third set and managed to hold my nerve.”
Rune’s best result at this level in 2025 came in Indian Wells, where he lost to Jack Draper in the final. Aiming to continue his run this week, the 10th seed will next play Tallon Griekspoor or qualifier Valentin Vacherot.
Rune is 12th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, currently 945 points behind eighth-placed Lorenzo Musetti, who is still alive in Shanghai. Rune would move to 3,290 points with a title showing at the hard-court event. The 22-year-old is aiming to make his second appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals, having fallen in the round-robin stage in 2023.
In the first match of the day, Zizou Bergs saved two match points to claw past Canadian Gabriel Diallo 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(8) and reach his maiden ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final.
The 26-year-old recovered from squandering a 4-1 lead in the decider, saving match points in the third-set tie-break at 6/7 and 7/8 before sealing victory on his third match point after two hours and 49 minutes.
After the match, Bergs was asked whether it was easier to save the match points or convert one of his opportunities.
“Well, probably the saving ones (match points) because it was on his serve,” said Bergs. “It’s easier to finish a match while serving than trying to save the match while returning. But in the end it’s really difficult. He doesn’t give me any free points. All the match points I really had to go and look for it. So, in the end, you have to stay calm, but at the same time aggressive. Luckily, I managed to do that.”
Bergs is the fifth Belgian man to reach the quarter-finals at a Masters 1000 and the second in Shanghai, joining David Goffin (2016, ‘24). He is up six spots to No. 38 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and is set to rise to a career-high on Monday. Aiming to keep his run going, Bergs could meet Novak Djokovic in the last eight. The Serbian plays Jaume Munar later on Tuesday.
“It means a lot and you probably saw it in my reaction,” said Bergs, who fell to the ground after reaching the last eight. “It’s quite amazing and I feel like my trajectory is a little different, the speed of my path is different. I’m 26 and I’m reaching continuously my career high. I know it’s not going to be only ups, and I’ve had my downs as well this year, but I’m really curious to see where my potential’s going to bring me.”
[NEWSLETTER FORM]World number one Carlos Alcaraz will headline the new Million Dollar One Point Slam, which pits amateurs against professionals before January’s Australian Open.